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How Do I Forgive Myself?

 

Some folks have a difficult time forgiving themselves for past failures or sins. God used the Apostle Paul to put it like this, Philippians 3:13 - Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

 

If anyone had a checkered past it was the Apostle Paul who went about persecuting Christians. When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus Jesus asked him this, “Why are you persecuting me?” 

 

Paul had learned to forget past mistakes and difficulties. He learned to press forward serving the Lord Jesus Christ. How can you and I do that? Look at the four steps below to  be able as Paul did to forget those things behind and press toward the mark of the high calling of God!

 

  1. Acknowledge – The first step is to recognize that you have not forgiven yourself. Face up to this fact, and begin to deal with the issue.
  2. Repent – Tell the Lord that you realize your self-condemnation is a sin. Then accept and thank Him for His forgiveness.
  3. Believe God – Reaffirm your trust in the truth of scripture. God says He has removed your transgressions as far as the east is from the west.
  4. Choose forgiveness – Based on God’s Word, by an act of your will, in faith, choose to forgive yourself.

Please notice that feelings are not mentioned anywhere in these steps. Each step is a choice based on truth, not emotions. Stop replaying in your mind the old recording of your sin, which stirs up guilt, but instead replay the truths of Scripture.

 

I heard an evangelist say this, “The only one who will bring up our past sins is a deep sea diving devil. Because God has placed confessed sin in the sea of forgetfulness.

Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.